Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday made light of the state forest minister's suggestion to release goats into the forest to keep leopards away from human settlements, saying that apart from big cats, villagers will also feast on this prey base.
During an informal interaction with reporters here, Pawar said the idea appeared to have originated from the forest department.
"Instead of leopards, even villagers will feast on the goats released as prey," he said with a chuckle.
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has suggested that forest officials release goats in large numbers in forests to stop leopards from entering human settlements in search of prey.
"If four people are killed in leopard attacks, the state must pay Rs 1 crore (as compensation). So I told officials, instead of paying compensation after deaths, release goats worth Rs 1 crore into the forest so leopards do not venture into human habitats," the minister had said.
When asked about the government's plans to tackle the rising incidents involving leopards, Pawar said leopards were breeding and living in certain pockets of Maharashtra, especially in sugarcane-growing regions.
He said the government had also made enquiries with Vantara zoo, which had conveyed that it could take only up to 50 leopards.
"I have heard there are nearly 2,000 leopards in Maharashtra. In such a situation, we need to think of other measures," Pawar added.
He said sterilisation could be an effective option, but its impact would be seen only over a long period, as even after sterilisation, leopards would continue to hunt for food.
Pawar said the government was working to enhance the capacity of existing rescue centres and set up new facilities to address the issue.
Ahilyanagar, Pune, and Nashik districts were reporting the highest number of leopard-related incidents, according to the state forest department. -- PTI